NONSHIVERING THERMOGENESIS DURING PROSTAGLANDIN E(1) FEVER IN RATS - ROLE OF THE CEREBRAL-CORTEX

We have tested the hypothesis that there is a role for the cerebral cortex in the control of non-shivering thermogenesis during fever induced by prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1)). While under urethan anesthesia, the firing rate of nerves innervating interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT), IBAT and colonic temperatures (T-IBAT and T-c) and oxygen (O-2) consumption were monitored during the fever from PGE(1) injection (400 and 800 ng) in a lateral cerebral ventricle in controls and in functionally decorticated Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were functionally decorticated by applying 3.3 M KCl solution on the frontal cortex which causes cortical spreading depression (CSD). Pyrogen injections caused dose-related increases in firing rate, T-IBAT, T-c and O-2 consumption and CSD reduced these enhancements. Our findings indicate that the cerebral cortex could be involved in the control of non-shivering thermogenesis during PGE(1)-induced febrile response.